The person who police say shot and killed two people in Rhode Island on Monday worked at Bath Iron Works, according to a spokesperson.
Police say the shooter killed their ex-wife and their adult son and injured three others during a youth hockey game in Pawtucket before apparently turning the gun on themselves.
Authorities identified the shooter as Robert Dorgan, who they said also went by the name Roberta Esposito. Court documents indicate the shooter also went by Roberta Dorgan and was transgender.
Dorgan was an active employee at Bath Iron Works, said spokesperson David Hench.
“We extend our deepest sympathies to the victims, their families and all those affected by this tragedy,” Hench said in a statement Tuesday morning. “Any further questions related to the investigation should be directed to law enforcement.”
Hench did not respond to a follow-up email seeking more details.
A spokesperson for Machinists Union Local S6, which represents workers at BIW, declined to comment Tuesday.
Police are still investigating what was behind the shooting, but Pawtucket police Chief Tina Goncalves said it appeared to have been a “targeted event” and a “family dispute.” Goncalves said there were no signs of an argument between Robert Dorgan and the victims immediately before the shooting.
During a news conference Tuesday afternoon, Goncalves identified the two victims who died as Rhonda Dorgan and Aidan Dorgan, the shooter’s ex-wife and their adult son.
Rhonda Dorgan died at the scene, while Aidan Dorgan died after being transported to the hospital, the chief said.
The chief also identified the three victims who were wounded as Rhonda Dorgan’s parents, Linda and Gerald Dorgan, and a family friend, Thomas Geruso. All three were in critical condition Tuesday, she said.
Robert Dorgan and Rhonda Dorgan were first cousins, once removed, which is why both families share the same last name, according to The Providence Journal.
Goncalves said the shooter had two firearms that were purchased legally and had a license to carry guns in Florida.
The shooter did not appear to live in Rhode Island, Goncalves said, and search warrants are being executed in multiple states. It was not immediately clear Tuesday whether that includes Maine.
Rhode Island court records obtained by the Press Herald show Robert Dorgan and Rhonda Dorgan married in Massachusetts in 1992 while living in Rhode Island.
Rhonda Dorgan’s grounds for divorce, according to a complaint filed in 2020, were “gender reassignment surgery” as well as “narcissistic” and “personality disorder traits.” Those reasons were subsequently crossed out on the document and replaced with “irreconciable difference which caused the irremediable breakdown of the marriage.”
Robert Dorgan, also referred to as Roberta Dorgan in some court documents, pursued legal action against their mother, Joann Dorgan, for allegedly assaulting them in February 2020. That assault occurred “while attending my son’s hockey game,” Robert Dorgan claimed in an affidavit.
Joann Dorgan allegedly punched Robert Dorgan, knocking their glasses off and injuring their jaw. They also claimed their mother was upset about their boyfriend at the time and made derogatory remarks about them being transgender.
Robert Dorgan reported to Providence police on Feb. 18, 2020, that Gerald Dorgan, their former father-in-law who was in critical condition Tuesday, threatened them.
According to the police narrative, Robert Dorgan claimed Gerald Dorgan said he would hire someone to kill them if they did not drop the charges against their mother and if they did not move out of a house Gerald owns, citing their transgender identity.
The case against Joann Dorgan was dismissed in July 2020. The case against Gerald Dorgan was dismissed in 2023 as “Robert Dorgan aka Roberta Dorgan, who now lives in Florida, no longer wishes to pursue this case,” court documents state.
This story contains material from the Associated Press.
